First Impressions: A Cullen Prequel
by Orchidsoul
Summary: It's the 1940's in New York, and the Cullens attempt to deal with the war and their lifestyle. 7/10 readers agree: If you loved A Cullen Continuation, you'll love this!
1. December in Wartimes

**_AN: This is the first chapter of the promised prequel: First Impressions! It will all be from Edward or Carlilse's POV. Enjoy!_**

**CarlilsePOV:**

The war was on. It was 1941 and the people around us were still griped financially by the remnants of the depression. I had taken to doing night-time house calls pro bono for the many patients too poor to afford my services regularly. Thanks to Alice, our fortune had been spared, and so I felt it my duty to help others more so than ever before.

We were in New York then, the heavy industrialized smog blocking out enough sunshine that we weren't ever complete recluses. Also, it rained quite a bit. Generally speaking, it worked out well. Esme had found an old home for us; it's previous owner having lost all his fortune in the market crash and having to sell the property to pay off his debts. It was the sort of house Esme like best; brick outside, a large sprawling lawn, hidden from view by a good stand of trees, with simple detailed moulding inside, hardwood floors, curving staircases, and of course a minimum of 4 bedrooms, and somewhere to put Edward's piano.

She worried about Edward a great deal. Well, we all did, but she was the most concerned of us all. He seemed to never settle. As vampires we are like bald eagles; actively seeking out a single mate to remain with until we are no more. Edward on the other hand, showed no preference to any female. We had even spent a year in Alaska, hoping that he would find a suitable partner among the many females that lived with Eleazar and Carmen. I recall, Tanya was decidedly smitten with him. Esme was encouraged by this, however there was no accounting for Edward's reaction. Of course, he did us no disgrace; he was the perfect gentleman in his refusal of her advances. Still, part of me wishes he had given Tanya a chance. Certainly, she was a little giddy and considerably less pensive than he, but it could have worked. However, with Edward in particular, I trust his judgement. He did not feel Tanya was right for him, and I had no choice but to accept.

After all, I didn't want to loose him again; he had only just returned from his journey of "youthful rebellion", as he put it. Poor fellow had gone out and hunted humans, wondering if perhaps ours was not the ideal lifestyle. I understand why he returned. It would have been inconceivably difficult to kill when you could hear every fearful last thought of your pray. Edward had returned. He had a conscience. He was a good one, and I was proud of him as always.

*****

It was December 13th. Esme and Alice were actually decking the halls with boughs and wreath and arrangements of every variety of pine, holly, and mistletoe. It had been sunny, as Alice had foreseen, so Emmett and Jasper had gone out for a weeklong hunting expedition in the hopes that it would ease there temptation with all the pre-holiday congestion in New York. Correspondingly, I had taken the night shift. I was prepared to set out, and hoping that I might be of help to the mangled soldiers that they brought in daily.

"Edward! I need more pinecones!" Alice called cheerfully from the top of the stairs.

"That's nice… you should probably go get some then," Edward replied wittily from elsewhere in the house.

I walked out into the hall where Esme stood next to Alice.

"Where is Edward?" I whispered as quietly as possible.

"Oh, Ebenezer Scrooge is in the library journaling again…He thinks that just because he's alone and has lived two types of vampire lifestyle it gives him some profound insight. As if humans want to purchase a novel about a tormented vampire… If you ask me he's been dipping into the philosophy section too heavily lately," Alice responded loud enough that we could be certain that Edward could hear.

"Alice! What do you foresee me doing at this moment?" Edward asked, and I could tell by his tone that something was up, but it was nice to see him do something with some measure of liveliness.

"Procuring some pinecones for me," she replied smartly.

"Yes, and what else?" his voice taunted as I hear the door open and shut. Presumably, he was running out to the woods to get pine cones.

Alice focused for a second and then her tiny hands formed fists. She stormed down the stairs and onto the back lawn, followed by Esme and I. Edward met her on the back lawn, hands full of pinecones.

"EDWARD! You wouldn't dare!" she shouted.

"What, you don't want to be forcefully fed pinecones?" he said with a grin. 'You did call me Scrooge after all."

"Edward! Alice! Stop it. Edward, give Alice the coniferous plant seed pods… Kindly! Alice, accept them and thank him. You'd think you two were raised by wild animals," Esme intervened.

I couldn't help but chuckle. At least Edward had some life to him today; enough energy and good humour to tease Alice. It was more than could be said of him the past few weeks.

"Carlisle, you'll be late for your shift if you don't go soon," Esme sighed.

"I could walk faster than these modern cars go. Someone needs to invent one with a little more pep," Edward remarked, as he headed back inside.

"Alright. I'll see you all in the morning. See to it that Edward gets out of the library for a few hours. Maybe a little hunting would do him good," I suggested, taking my hat and heading for the unbelievably slow car that would transport me to work.

On the drive over, it began to snow ever so slightly. It looked like it would be a beautiful white Christmas. I was suddenly and forcefully reminded of ho lonely a Christmas it would be for those who awaited news of soldiers. If only there was more that could be done to save their lives.

******

I checked into the trauma war and washed by hands meticulously. It wasn't entirely vital for hygiene, as most of the men in the war were already dying, septic or hand gangrene already, however it was best to err on the side of caution and also to keep up appearances. It was as I collected my charts from the nurses station that I noticed something was off. I smelt vampire in the air. There was another vampire in my hospital! Likely feeding on my patients too! I followed the scent at a discrete run that could pass for human. It was difficult. All the while I only wished I could move faster. I had to stop whoever it was.


	2. The Recovery Ward

**_AN: Hello. For those who have read A Cullen Continuation, this chapter corresponds with Elizabeth's stroy of how she came to meet the Cullens in Chapter 5: Stories. _**

**CarlilsePOV:**

Finally I came to the ward we had been using for soldiers recovering after surgery. The scent had led me there. I peeked into the ward as discreetly as I could manage. No one stood out to me as a vampire. There were several bloodily bandaged patients and yet there was no one feeding off them. There were six nurses making rounds, checking dressings and emptying bedpans.

I tried to spot the trademark pale skin, but they were all very pale; it was winter on the east coast after all. A few of them looked up at me, some in a rather longing way. I glanced in search of the trademark irises but not a speck of ruby was to be found. I had looked over each of them and thought I must be going insane, until I noticed that I had missed a nurse on my first count. She kept her back to me and that made me instantly suspicious.

I discreetly moved closer, pretending to be examining the charts of various patients and nodding approvingly. She moved correspondingly; never facing me, never looking back. I observed her. She was slight, and her figure still spoke of youth. She couldn't be more that 16 or 17 years old, or perhaps older but definitely not past her early 20's. Her hair was very dark, almost jet black and tied up and pinned to her nurse's cap. Her skin was deathly pale, and as far as I could tell it was the same shade as mine. The closer I got the more I took notice of the scent. Finally, she could no longer move forward to avoid me having reached the very last patient next to the wall.

"Good afternoon, Nurse…" I said calmly, although I knew from the scent that she was indeed the only vampire other than I in the room.

"Arlen," she replied quietly, back still turned to me, holding the patient's chart in her hands.

"May I see the charts, Nurse Arlen? I believe this man was my patient and I'd like to see how he is doing," I fished.

She turned to face me and I was prepared to see irises ranging from scarlet to black. She looked me in the eye, though she was nearly a head shorter. Somehow she managed to look almost fearful. I nearly dropped the chart she handed me when I noticed the rich caramel ochre of her eyes. It could not be!

"Your patient is doing well considering, Doctor…" She replied, looking for my name.

"Cullen."

"Are there any further treatments I can perform to aid his recovery?" she asked rather genuinely and I was still shocked into near stupor.

"No, I think you are doing a fine job from what I can see… I'm sorry, I don't believe I've met you before…" I replied.

"I generally work evenings on the weekend. Nurse Galloway is ill and I elected to take her sifts this week," she said softly.

"You-are-one-of-us?" I whispered below human frequency and volume perception.

She nodded quickly. "I'll go on pretence of fetching dressings from the supply cabinet… meet me in the closed ward in five minutes and I will explain," she whispered as quickly and lowly as I had.

She briskly excused herself, offering to fetch extra dressings for the head nurse on duty on her way out of the room. I made another circle of the room, nodding approvingly to the nurses' work. Then I was out into the corridor, alone. I ran to the closed ward; it had been damaged in a fire and had yet to be repaired. I pushed my way through the door and she sat on the charred remnants of a reception desk, looking at me.

'Please understand, I mean no harm," she said timidly.

"You have golden irises," I stated simply, still rather shocked.

She paused for a moment and cocked her head to one side. "So do you… So, I'm not the only one?"

"The only one?"

"The only one who drinks animal blood…" she replied, swinging her feet.

"I see. No, you are not the only one to have such a diet. You don't have a family?' I asked, in awe.

"A family? My family died ever so long ago. Do you mean a coven? I have no coven," she replied, still regarding me with her head cocked.

"Then, how did you know to feed from animals?" I asked, rather curious now that she no longer was a threat to my patients.

"I sort of stumbled upon it of my own devices," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"What of the one who created you? Are you aware of our laws? The Volturi?" I asked, socked that she had done so well alone.

"I'd rather not talk of those. I have been around for a terribly long time. Over 200 years now, I believe. I know of the laws."

"You've been alone 200 years?"

She nodded once, quite sadly. She really was quite the broken little thing.

"Are you alone as well? The way you talk, it implies that you are of a coven," she said.

"I am the head of a family, yes."

"I see."

"You might come meet them, if you like. I believe our shifts end at the same hour."

"Are you attempting to recruit me to your coven?"

"No, not really. I suppose, I am asking if you should like to be our guest," I replied, knowing Esme would disapprove of me not giving her notice to prepare for company.

"Hmm a guest," she mused, tapping her forefinger to her chin. "Are they all as kind natured as you seem to be, Doctor Cullen?"

"Please, call me Carlisle. Yes, I suppose they are kind. I believe it comes from our diet. We are able to form closer bonds with one another because we deny our more crude predatory tendencies."

"I suppose I should like to meet others. I have been rather isolated for a very long time. I though myself rather unique. I suppose it is good to know that there are others who believe in preserving human life. I will be your guest, provided you all call me by my real name. I'm Elizabeth. Elizabeth Marie Ardour. Lizzy Arlen is my Americanized cover."

"Good to make your acquaintance, Elizabeth."

"Oh, one more question, Carlisle. How many are there in your family?"

******

We got off shift and met at my car, having taken separate exits out. She still seemed a bit nervous but from our simple and brief conversation earlier, I felt we had developed a sort of understanding. I even thought as we drove to my home, that she might make a good match for Edward at last.

"What a beautiful home," she said in appreciation as we pulled up.

"Esme, my wife, would be honoured at such a compliment," I replied. "Oh, I forgot. I should warn you… some of our family are in possession of some abilities above and beyond the norm. Alice, my daughter for all intents and purposes, can foresee the future. Her partner, Jasper, who is away hunting at the moment can affect moods. And my son, well he is as close to a son as can be, Edward, can read thoughts… Just so that you are aware."

"Ah. A talented bunch indeed," she said simply.

**EdwardPOV:**

Carlisle's thoughts shouted at me as he pulled up the drive.

_"Edward! Please notify the family: I found another vampire today… somehow miraculously she is a vegetarian as well. She is going to be our guest for a while…"_

Oh great! Just what I needed, another one of Esme and Carlisle's attempts to fix me up. How could I tactfully explain to them as Hamlet had endeavoured to explain to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; "Man delights not me. Nor woman either…"? This existence was just too cruel and forsaken, not to mention condemned to permit me such joys as love. My family was lucky. They each had their perfect soul mate in another, if indeed we had any shred of hope at having a soul. I knew that I would never have such luck.

I slammed shut the journal I had been writing in. There was no sense locking it; my family would find the key or break the lock. I knew Emmett liked to have a good laugh over my musings of anguish and suffering every now and then; cruel bear of a vampire.

"Esme, Alice! Rosalie! We have company!" I called from the library.

From Carlisle's thoughts, she seemed to be what one might generally consider attractive, if not sultry in the way of silent film ingénues. Not my type by any stretch, but possibly he sort of beauty that might threaten Rosalie's vanity. I only hoped she wasn't too cruel to this new comer, no matter what match-making reasons Carlisle might have for bringing her here.


	3. Pleased To Meet You

**EdwardPOV:**

"I know Edward!" Alice called back. _"I know he thinks he's exceptionally talented, but I DO see the future. I knew she was coming… If he wasn't so busy with the infernal journal of his, he would know Esme and I have been preparing a quest room for her to have."_

I said nothing; just walked purposefully into the foyer where the others were assembling to meet the strange vampire who would be under our roof, so to speak, for some undefined period of time. That was the real issue with vampires, they had no real sense of time when they wear out their welcome sometimes.

_"I wonder who this guest is… some woman according to Alice. I wonder if she's pretty…"_ Rosalie though with almost contempt. She was always in such a terrible mood when Emmett was away. He really shouldn't leave her alone.

"Edward, have you seen her yet?" Esme asked. _"Maybe she'll pique his interest…"_

"I saw her in Carlisle's thoughts. She looks like a burlesque star. Too dramatic in her facial features, too thin about the waist… And no, I am not interested," I snapped with a glare.

Esme glowered back. She wouldn't be having any of my attitude, as always.

"Sorry, Esme," I apologized.

"Just try to be civil to our guest. You may not wish to be her partner and she may or may not wish to be yours, however you must be civil and kind. Friendship is not adverse, Edward," she chided.

I was spared from having to come up with a reply by the opening of the door. Carlisle had done the gentlemanly thing and opened the door for her. Her almost overly large eyes opened wide. She made to open her mouth but then closed it.

"Wow!" she thought. _"How beautiful and handsome a home this is. Is it a home? More a manor, I think. I haven't see anything so grand and classic in some time…"_

"Welcome," Esme said, so perfectly that it could have been an idealistic ad were it not just before dawn in a room full of misfit vampires, in the midst of a world war.

"Thank you for having me," the slight young vampire said.

"Elizabeth, may I introduce you to my family, or at least those who are here? Everyone, this is Elizabeth. My wife Esme," Carlisle said pointing. "Rosalie… Alice…and Edward."

"Hello," Rosalie grumbled a little. "Edward, you liar! She's gorgeous. And if she even comes close to my Emmett…"

"I've been expecting you," Alice said, hugging Elizabeth.

"Not for too long I hope," she replied. _"Right… she sees the future. Well, they are all really kind. Except for the boy, Edward. He's grimacing at me… That's rude. Aw damn! He reads thoughts! Umm, if you're listening, I'm sorry!"_

I resisted the urge to chuckle grimly. I did however attempt to stop grimacing.

"Oh just a few hours. I only see the course someone is on at the time. I only saw you when you decided to come," Alice replied, beaming." I can't wait to introduce you to Jasper. I've seen that you two will get along very well!"

"Oh, well… Thanks," Elizabeth replied uncertainly.

"Alice, do try to stop being so odd," I said.

Alice stuck her tongue out at me, causing Esme to toss us a glare. Alice curtsey briefly in my direction with a slight role of the eye. I raised one eyebrow waiting for Esme to call us out on our poor decorum. She just cleared her throat. Carlisle on the other hand chuckled.

"Rosalie, would you show Elizabeth to her room. I'll go get her bags from the car," Carlisle said. _"Poor thing was living in the cramped little thing she called a flat… no windows… surrounded by the scent of humans all day; inundated by temptation and yet not yielding. It should be good and interesting to get to know her. And perhaps we can cheer her up a tad."_

******

Rose and Elizabeth were up in her room for an inordinately long period of time. I never understood that about the fairer sex; they tended to travel in packs and take forever to do tasks that only ought to take a few seconds. I crept up to my room; adjacent to and sharing a wall with the guest room (now Elizabeth's). It wasn't really my fault that I overheard them.

"You were at the court of Antoinette!" Rosalie exclaimed. She sounded impressed.

"Yes and let me tell you, it was… opulent," came the Elizabeth's reply. Now that I thought of it, her voice had a slight French touch about the pronunciation.

"Did you keep any of the clothing? Jewellery?" Rosalie asked, sounding excited.

"A few of the corsets…" _"With burlesque in vogue I should almost re-use them."_

An appreciative sound emerged.

"Oh and jewels."

"Wow! I love that ring!" Rosalie exclaimed. In her mind I saw the ring; a simple silver affair but with a ornate ebony rose carved on top.

"I have a pendant to match it somewhere,' Elizabeth replied and I heard rustling.

Rosalie let out a little gasp. _"Wow, that's beautiful. They don't make anything that great anymore."_

"You can have the pendant. Your name is Rosalie…Rose and it's a black Rose; black like our eyes when the thirst is at it's worst."

"Oh, thank you!"

**CarlislePOV:**

"Edward doesn't' seem to fancy her any," Esme remarked to me. "She seems more his type than Tanya. Perhaps in time…"

"I know you want to see him happily matched. We all do. I just don't think she's right for him. I don't think anyone is right for him," I replied, stoking the fire in the grate just to watch the flames.

"What if he was changed to early on in life? I mean, he never had amorous intentions in his mortal life, he was too focused on being a soldier. Perhaps that is affecting him now," she said, concerned.

"I think he will find someone in time. Someday he will meet that perfect woman and when that happens I pity anyone who gets in the way of his having her. He's a determined and focused one, our Edward. Right now, I think he's sorting through some very complex issues to do with the nature of our existence…"

"He doesn't believe we have souls. Emmett read his journal and told me of this."

"Emmett shouldn't be reading his journals…" I replied sadly.

"Carlisle, he thinks we are damned. He believes he is damned. He is hardest on himself out of all of our kind."

"I cannot influence what he believes. He knows our thoughts on the matter, quite literally. To be honest, I think part of him doesn't believe in all the negativity his is putting on those pages. Within him I believe he recognizes his own hope and promise. I just don't think he has found the right way to show that yet."

"I hope you are right, darling. I do hate seeing him so dejected," she sighed.

"Maybe we should go on holiday in the new year. We can bring Elizabeth and go somewhere with good hunting. That might cheer him up. Actually, I think all the boys would enjoy that."

"He barely hunts these days, you know…" she remarked, sitting upon the sofa.

"I've noticed his eyes growing very dark," I replied, hoping just as desperately as she that something could be done to lift Edward's spirits.

"Let's try a vacation. Besides, Alice mention the conscriptors were going to be making rounds again, so it would be best to keep the boys out of sight."

"Yes, the last thing we want is for Jasper and Emmett to be stranded amongst bloody soldiers in a battlefield," I agreed.

"The phrase 'Hell on Earth' comes to mind…"

"Indeed it does. However, my love, let us talk of something more cheerful," I replied, putting my arm about her shoulders and planting a kiss in her caramel hair.

"Oh, Alice said we were going to find the perfect Christmas Tree at the market tomorrow. It's going to be overcast and snowing. Oh and I got the most perfect gift for Edward, but I mustn't think of it or it will ruin my surprise…."


	4. Bei Mir Bist du Schon

**_AN- Chapter Four! Woo hoo! This is pretty much the Edward Chapter... but an interesting development all the same. Also, the title is a song originally recorded by the Andrews Sisters. :D I just love swing trivia._**

**EdwardPOV:**

"Go, on…" Alice said while giving me a sharp shove.

"Evil little Imp…" I muttered.

"Grumpy old man…" she countered with a grin. _"Hurry up, or we'll be late."_

Late for what, I wondered. It wasn't as if we needed to get down to the tree lot in a hurry. It wouldn't be closing for hours; it was barely ten in the morning. I said nothing though; best not to argue with Alice, she had a terrible habit of proving people wrong. I crossed the hall and mounted the stairs. Certainly, I could have just called from where I had been. It would have been effective, true, but it wouldn't have been the polite, genteel way of going about things.

I knocked on the door. Her thoughts were apparent but I couldn't make much sense of them.

_"Tragic… Angel and all-of-a-sudden the tone changes. Subtly, really, but lo' there it is. So subtle… he just changes his view on the wretch; condemning ever so softly…"_ she thought.

I knocked again.

"Come in," she said quietly.

I opened the door halfway and looked in. She was seated on the floor, a worn volume of Hardy in her hands. Her thoughts then made sense; she was thinking of Tess, the novel's protagonist.

"Hardy?" I inquired.

"I like a little bitter reflection on the state of humanity with my sunrise," she chuckled bitterly.

"We are all heading off in search of the perfect Christmas tree…" I began.

"Aren't there already four in the house?" she asked, cutting me off.

"Alice is…"

"A little attached to celebrating everything to it's fullest? Yes, I noticed."

"Anyway, we are off on the hunt for another tree that she saw we would find. I believe there is also going to be some shopping, if that is your sort of activity."

"I suppose it would be rather nice to go out and about. It is a fine cloudy day," she said, rising from the floor and placing the book on the shelf.

*****

Carlisle escorted Esme and Elizabeth and I walked with Rose and Alice. It was best not to leave our 'delicate' ladies all by themselves in the hustle and bustle of New York streets nearing Christmas. Besides, it helped to maintain our image as upper class, proprietary citizens.

When we arrived at the tree lot I realised why Alice was worried that we'd be late. She had to outrun a young man to get to her envisioned tree. The poor guy slipped on some ice and she ended up beating him. His thoughts were offensive with the frequency of cursing, however I did not doubt Alice deserved it. She would stop at nothing to get what she desired sometimes.

After procuring the tree and arranging to pick it up later, for Alice had predicted that the salesman would be honest and keep our tree aside for us (the ten dollars she slipped him may have influenced that), we went to walk about and window shop.

"I do so love swing music. How about you?" Elizabeth enquired of us as we stopped in front of a music store.

"It is delightful, although very lively," Esme commented. "Edward isn't entirely fond of the quick stuff. He prefers the ballads."

"Oh?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes. Any fool can twitch about while dancing to the quick tempo. It takes to mastery and grace to dance slowly," I agreed.

"Indeed. However, I have seen up tempo dancing performed with such skill, passion and fervour as to convince me otherwise," Elizabeth disagreed.

"Where?" Rosalie asked excitedly. "Is it any of the cafes in town?"

"Oh, no. Not here," Elizabeth said simply as we continued along the street. "Here in America, we have freedom. When man is free and has no oppression to fight against, then the passion is lost. Not here, indeed. Rather, it was whilst I was in Berlin, this past summer…"

"Berlin?" Carlisle asked in a very quiet voice. Berlin was a dangerous word to be uttering unless one was speaking of how we would conquer them.

"Yes, I went to witness the other side of the tale myself rather than to believe only what the media has told me. And, I tell you… there were these youth, the swingjugend, who were rebelling. They wore their hair long and had a passion for all things American… and at night they ran in secret clubs and danced to swing with passion and abandonment that only comes from resistance."

"How perfectly wicked," Rosalie grinned.

"How incredibly foolish. They will be crushed," I remarked.

"The human spirit cannot be crushed," Alice said knowingly.

******

When we returned home with our tree, Elizabeth put her newly purchased record on the phonograph. Carlisle and Esme were at a charity ball and Rose and Alice were goodness knows where.

It was an Andrews Sisters album. How dull. Indeed Elizabeth was a pleasant enough one, but she was not anyone I could ever love, nor did she harbour any amourous intentions for me (which was a pleasant change from Tanya). We could however share our present misery amidst all the couples as friends.

"They were trying to fix us up?" she asked, interrupting me from my thoughts. Her thoughts had been almost silent, I had no noticed them.

"You saw that as well?" I replied.

"Not until you thought it…" she said, avoiding my gaze.

"Until I thought it?" I asked still a little thick. "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I can… how to describe it… _hear_ your thoughts. This is odd," she said, embarrassed.

"What?! How?" I asked, rushing up to her and looking sharply into her eyes.

"I don't know… I am able to copy talents and you… hear thoughts… its not really reading them is it? And so I suppose I have tapped into being able to mimic what you do. Is a rather odd gift, no? You only hear what is passing thought their mind at the moment. Such as now, you are feeling baffled and wondering why I couldn't do this earlier… to be honest it takes me time to pick up on other's abilities and it depends on how strong their ability is… Oh, please don't be angry!" she said in a hurry.

"I need to go think," I replied, very much unsettled. _"Forgive me."_

"Oh please, don't be cross. It is not as if I have done it on purpose. I cannot help it really!" she cried after me as I flew out of the room rather impolitely.

I flew into the woods and knew Alice and Rose must be nearby, for I could hear their thoughts.

_"Oh, lovely! Edward has gone and upset our guest… and she was turning out to be so lovely and fun. She won't leave though, thank goodness I can see that much. Oh, Edward will pay for this. I will make sure of it,"_ thought Alice before proceeding to tell Rose what I had done.

_"Edward can be so insensitive! We should go talk to her…"_ Rosalie's thoughts confirmed I was indeed in the proverbial dog house.

Well, they could certainly judge me all they liked and indeed they did. I could not wait until their husbands returned to distract them, for they were far worse when not occupied. I was so sick of being the family's misfit; the resident black sheep. As, if this very existence wasn't hell enough… Then again, I did create this madness for myself. Perhaps they were right, perhaps I was just grumpy and malcontent far too much. However, it was unlikely I would ever change.


	5. Two Peas In A Pod

**_AN- Sorry, folks... This is a really short chap. My life is choas and this chap is mostly transition so I decided to leave it cut short. Forgive me._**

**EdwardPOV:**

I sulked in the woods for some time, not thirsty enough to hunt, and in far too poor a mood to slink back into the house and play the piano. Finally Alice's thoughts beckoned me back into the house, however impolitely.

_"Edward! Get in here! Now! Or I'll break your Chopin and Vivaldi records… and I just might crush them yet, if you're not nice when you get here. You will make small talk. You will get to know this vampire. She's great Rose and I love her, and even if she's not mad at you for that irrational behaviour earlier…"_ Alice berated.

I put on my best polite face and ran calmly back in to the house. Elizabeth was admiring the very simple piano I had had for many years. I was always nervous when other vampires touched it, especially Emmett. It was such an old little wooden thing from the eons ago, probably fabricated when vaudeville was at its peak. I had picked it out for myself and had always regretted not having picked something more durable. However, the sound was wonderful; full tones and the tuning held very well.

I had made a brief plan before hand for an opener that I thought could be witty.

"Can you give me some advise?" I asked, trying for the first time ever to divert my thoughts. (Alice made it seem so easy. It was difficult.)

"Never engage in a land war in Russia…" she said with a slight chuckle.

"Actually. I was wondering if you could advise me in hw a foolish vampire fellow could apologize for overreacting?" I continued, slightly unnerved at how easily she could joke.

"Well, one could grovel, but that would make him a fool. Not to mention it wouldn't be honest. One could bribe, but I have no use for things…" she said slowly, whilst strolling back and forth next to the fireplace.

"Then what can I do?" I asked, very frustrated. I wasn't used to someone being in a position of almost authority over me aside from Esme and Carlisle.

_"Apologize,"_ she thought simply, turning on her heel and heading towards the stairs.

It was then I noticed she had changed. She was wearing this slinky silk thing cut very deeply in the back and in color, a dark red. Obviously Alice had gotten to her.

_"Alice has nothing to do with this…"_ she thought with a dark chuckle, obviously enjoying that she didn't have to hide her figure here, as no one wanted to pursue her. She thought guilty of how immortal beauty tended to attract admiring thoughts. She did not want anyone to admire her. She was well prepared to die alone. She was at peace with that, mostly.

"I'm sorry," I called.

"You changed your mind on whether to apologize because you overheard in my thoughts that I don't desire you?" she asked, confused, turning around.

"I just didn't think we'd feel so similarly on the fact that we'll never love," I said.

_"…never love again…"_ her thoughts added, but I made no comment on that.

"Hey, Elizabeth? You like to swing dance, right? Do you know of anywhere you'd like to go dancing tonight? My treat," I offered.

"Oh, Edward, are you as brooding as they say then? Do you take no observation of the world around you?!" she began shouting at me, rather suddenly.

"What?" I asked as her train of thought moved to quickly for me to follow.

"Nowhere is open at night right now. Nobody dares leave on so many lights after Pearl Harbour! Why leave a huge luminous target for bombers?"

"Pearl Harbour? You mean that naval base…?"

"Oh my word!" she exclaimed, throwing up her hands in frustration and storming upstairs.

**CarlislePOV:**

"Alice…" I whispered to her from across the hall and she came running.

"Yes," she replied, stepping into my office.

"How are things going? Edward's locked in the library again…" I inquired.

"He's being less than welcoming to Elizabeth… Did you know what she can do?"

"Yes, she told me, as soon as I came off shift today. It's very intriguing. You'd think Edward would be overjoyed to finally have someone with whom he can share his unique views fully…"

"He'll snap out of it soon. And to be fair, she did get a little unreasonably angry at him for his lack of knowledge in general human affairs."

"Two peas in a pod…" I sighed. "She is very aware thought, when it comes to global goings-on."

"She's very much your type there, Carlisle. She cares about humans very much."

"It's good to know that we aren't alone in our views…" I agreed.

"Oh, and I should let you know. Jasper and Emmett are returning tomorrow at…" Alice's eyes unfocused as she searched for an exact time. "Quarter past eleven, in the evening. And we'll have to hide them all quickly… the drafters are coming around the next morning."


	6. Long Ago

**CarlislePOV:**

They gave me an Christmas week off at the hospital. For the sake of my family, they told me. If only they could understand that my family could wait, whereas the soldiers in desperate need f medical treatment and their families might be the real ones to be concerned for. I tried to explain that I could work, but no one would have it. Even Elizabeth had been given the week off.

All the better, in one way. All of us would be on hand to have Jasper and Emmett back and to hide our boys somewhere suitable until they had dodged the draft. Jasper and Edward, as soldiers, and Emmett as a bold fellow, were sure to find this shameful. They had expressed their thoughts on this numerous times, but there was no way I would be endangering humans and my boys by placing them in a war zone with bloodied people.

**EdwardPOV:**

I was journaling away in fury at Elizabeth's implication that I was ignorant and insensitive. She thought so grandly of herself and her compassion for humanity but it was she who was lacking. Did she not comprehend that all must come to pass in this world? Mortals live and perish and turn to dust and from their dust plants grow to sustain the new generations. We remain, however. We witness this passing of time. In the grand scheme of things a little dancing during a war could do no true harm to the fabric of time. In fact, it might even do the mortals good to live a day or two as if they had immortality instead of constantly clawing against their inevitable fate.

It must have been late at night, I could not have said for certain. The days were so short at that time of year that I ought to have been out in public, enjoying the season's sunlessness. Then, there was a knock at the door. The thoughts were so bland, I almost could have thought she was simple in the head, if I didn't realise she was an expert at denial and could therefore repress anything she didn't want to think about.

_"Come in,"_ I thought, deciding to use the only little advantage to her being a copy-artist.

"His look and bending figure… all bespeak a man who does not move with pain, but with thought… he is insensibly subdued to settled quiet… He is one to whom long patience has such mild composure given," she recited Wordsworth as she regarded me. _"I wonder can you complete the poem…?"_ she thought, challenging me in a friendly enough manner.

"Hmm let me see," I began as I recalled the poem in question. "That patience now doth seem a thing, of which he hath no need. He is by nature led…"

"Well done. It came to mind as I saw you there, hunched over all those papers. I am terribly sorry about earlier. I was too quick with my temper."

"It's alright."

"You were writing about how angry you were at me," she chuckled a bit, tapping her temple to indicate that she had read my thoughts.

"Ah. Now I realise why they find my talents so irksome. It's really irritating…" I said.

"I think it would only be bad when you have thoughts that you regret having…" she remarked, and a brief image flashed across her thoughts before I could make sense of it.

"Why did you come down here?" I asked, deciding to be blunt.

"Umm… how to put it tactfully?" _"I'm lonely up there surrounded by books. Alice and Rose are laying out outfits to receive their husbands and Esme and Carlisle are… alone. So… you see."_

"Jasper and Emmett are returning soon?" I asked, a little out of the loop from my seclusion in the library.

"It's five in the morning and Alice has said they will be here by quarter past eleven. I'm picking up some of her incredible talent. I got a slight fleeting image of a blonde vampire and a dark-haired one… but little else. In time, I suppose…" she said, almost proud.

"Alice doesn't mind?" I asked, trying to be polite despite that Elizabeth's abilities made me somewhat uneasy.

"No. I believe her way of putting it was that she was overjoyed to have someone to share her ability and it's limitations with. She wants to have a grand discussion about it when I'm better able to replicate what it is that she does," she said.

"Alice can be the strangest individual I have ever known at times…" I began.

"But you care for her deeply. She is your favourite sibling," she completed.

"You know, you ought to be careful. It takes a while to get used to not answering people's thoughts when you're out in public," I reminded her.

"Yes, I suppose that is true."

"I'm sorry my family can be so overwhelming sometimes," I said by means of blanketing apology for anything that might have gotten her down. Her thoughts were decidedly melancholy.

"It's alright. They are just trying to be welcoming. I mean certainly it will take some adapting to…"

"I meant the couples… Oh never mind, you'll realise what I'm talking about once Jasper and Em get here. It's very awkward to be the odd one out," I explained.

"I see…" _"…not really, though."_

"They are very overt with their affection, well Rosalie and Emmett at least. Carlisle and Esme are so pure in their love, it's a true melding of two halves of the same soul with them. It was like that from the day she awoke. That can be very intimidating. And then here's Alice and Jasper. There's just this intensity about the way they look at one another at times, and I have to look away."

"Ah. They are exceptions to your belief…" she said, sitting in Carlisle's usual wingback chair.

"You feel the same as I do," I stated.

"Don't get me wrong, I know that I shall never love. However, it is not for lack of a soul. It is because of the way I died."

"How exactly did you die?"

"Have you not seen it in my thoughts?" she inquired, head cocked curiously to one side.

"No. I believe you are very good at controlling your thoughts… I don't see hear much aside from things occurring in the present."

"Ah, denial works more powerfully in the mind than I first thought," she stated. "I don't think of painful things for fear they shall overwhelm me, and so I suppose I do lock away portions of my thoughts."

"So, when did you die?" I asked, to keep her thoughts from continuing along their gloomy path.

"About 200 years ago, in France," she said.

Then, she proceeded to depict for me the scene of her death in her thoughts._ There I saw her as a young mortal girl, a blush of excitement lighting her face. She stood before the mirror in what I supposed one would call a petticoat, and a corset laced very tightly. Her waist was exceedingly narrow then as it was now. Her eyes were a hazy green which her mental voice characterized as "the colour of pure absinthe". A chamber maid brushed her long coal black hair and Elizabeth preened and pouted before the mirror. A man in a powdered wig with an obscene fake mole entered the room and leered at her as her bean to sweep up her hair, coating it thickly in pomade and powder. She would wince every now and then, but mostly she would rest her hands on her waist and feel at it's narrowness with pride._

_Then, she was dressed in a lavender gown and every bow, lacing and buckle was affixed by a team of servant women. She twirled before the mirror and giggled girlishly. Just then, and old matron with her face painted too thickly entered the room. She scolded Elizabeth harshly in French, threatening her with the prospect of spinsterdom if she did not reign in her girlish impulses before the ball. Elizabeth's mortal face fell, but still there was a sparkle of pride and joy behind her eyes. Solemnly she left the room with the old hag._

_The thought sequence then jumped to a gilded staircase, which Elizabeth stood atop. A page announced her entry: Mademoiselle Elizabeth de L'Ardour. She smiled, or rather beamed, and descended into the fray of colour below. To say the humans were enchanted by her would have been an understatement. They were entranced by her youth and beauty. She took notice of this and beamed further, increasing their estimation of her beauty. She curtseyed before the King and Queen. She was graced with a dance from the King, himself. She danced with so many young suitors and older married men who looked at her almost wolfishly. She paid them all no heed._

_Then, a man in a blue jacket caught her eye. He stared at her with coal-black eyes that burned with evident thirst; a vampire, and a thirsty one at that. The vampire grinned, wolfishly but not the same as the previous men. She nearly squealed with excitement as he strode, so gracefully, towards her. He bowed before her, to a level normally reserved for servants._

_"Dear angel, where thou hast fallen from? Heaven indeed. I am your humble servant, chère mademoiselle," he cooed to her and she swooned._

_She took his hand and pulled him back to his full height and slight shiver passed down her spine as she took notice of how he towered over her. She dismissed it as nothing more than infatuation when really her body was warning her of his predatory nature. He swept her up in a dance and held her closely. She noticed that he wore gloves on his hands, but took it to mean he was well-placed in life. She felt the chill come of his body, but supposed it only to be her body reacting to how tightly her corset was laced. She wondered if perhaps she were about to faint at the wonder of it all. Three songs passed in a blur and she heard a few little whispers from nearby women of how long the pair had been scandalously dancing together._

_He whispered in her ear and suggested that they take a stroll about the grounds. She felt the thrill of desire and feared only for her virtue. They swiftly exited the ballroom; he walked somehow too quickly. The night was sweet and stifling with heat and the heady nectar of flower blossoms. He brought her round to the very darkest corner of the grounds, next to the woods, were the stars barely shone. She felt nervous and suddenly far too young and naïve to be in such a situation. She took a step back from him, but he closed the distance and placed his arms 'round her._

_"Tell me, beauty, what is your name?" he whispered in her ear, licking his lips._

_"Elizabeth," she answered so simply, like a dear in the headlights._

_Then he leaned in, for the kill, I knew. She must have thought he intended to kiss her for she closed her eyes and parted her soft mortal lips ever so slightly. Then he sing his teeth into her weak neck and began to feed. Her eyes opened widely with fear and realisation dawned on her. Her arms attempted to claw at him and push him away but she barely ruffled the fabric of his coat. She tried to scream. She kicked and her little satin shoe fell off._

_That was when he looked into her eyes. She was slipping out of consciousness from a loss of blood. She was going limp in his arms. The fierceness in his eyes softened._

_"Elizabeth, beauty. You are too radiant for this death. My apologies. I shall make it better; they will glorify you and speak of your infinite beauty and grace until the ends of time, my sweet. I swear it…" he said, as she lost consciousness and the memory blacked out._

"Where is he now?" I asked of Elizabeth as the memory faded to black.

She showed me. I shuddered. She had torn him limb from limb.

**_AN- A longer chap for you lovely folks. For those who've read A Cullen Continuation this corresponds with the story told to Bella. if you haven't read A Cullen Continuation, I reccomend it. Haha, shameless self-promotion. Oh and for those who may have wanted to know, Elizabeth the character was inspired by the Pierces song, Three Wishes._**


	7. A Hasty Introduction

**CarlislePOV:**

Esme and I got dressed; the boys would be arriving shortly, and it would be best if we were around to introduce them to Elizabeth.

"Do you think the boys are going to behave themselves in front of our guest?" Esme asked, running a brush through her beautiful, tousled hair.

"As far as Alice has foreseen, Elizabeth and Jasper will get along fine. Emmett is more unpredictable, she says. The worst that could happen is he makes a joke or gives her an admiring look and makes Rosalie upset. I can't imagine anything worse, love, so don't you fret," I assured my perfect wife.

"I just don't want the boys to tease her like they do Edward. Elizabeth is as melancholy as Edward, I believe, but she's better at hiding it…"

**EdwardPOV:**

I could have shown Elizabeth my journals. I wrote quickly and had filled many of them since I rejoined Carlisle and recommitted to vegetarianism. However, there was no need. She could read my thoughts and I could read hers. We could think of our experiences, share our pain, and there would be no words on paper for Emmett to find and no words for Alice or Rosalie to overhear. Only Jasper could feel what we felt. And at the moment I was feeling rather glad for this odd, irksome vampire who was as lonely and broken as me.

_"We should go to the entry, perhaps?"_ she thought, as we both heard Alice thinking that Jasper and Emmett were coming up the drive.

I nodded. She followed me from the library, a bit nervous about meeting my adoptive brothers. I offered thoughts of encouragement, even though I was uncertain about how this would play out myself. Alice assured us Jasper would be fine with Elizabeth, although she gave no indication as to how long this would take. And Emmett was… unpredictable sometimes.

_"You might want to improve on your 'reassuring thoughts'… somehow they lack a large dose of reassurance,"_ she noted sarcastically.

I was tempted to stick my tongue out at her, but resisted. She and I were not yet so close. At any moment our differences in opinion could cause us to argue, fight, and ignore one another. It was all about balance.

We were met in the entry by Esme and Carlisle, clearly blissful and post-coital. Sometimes it was really awful living in this house full of loving couples. My notions of chastity were righteous and I never considered renegotiating that, however it was rather irksome to have others flaunting their sexuality all around me.

_"Someone's a little masochistic…"_ Elizabeth thought, and her face revealed nothing of our mental conversation. They had no idea what was going on in our minds.

_"I'm not masochistic…"_ I thought in reply, Jasper and Emmett were so close I could hear their thoughts and smell their scent. Jasper was suspicious of Elizabeth's foreign scent.

_"You, who fancy yourself a chivalrous knight, vowing chastity and self-sacrifice; denying all your nature… surrounded by couples who do as they please and only deny their thirst, and even then some of them break… I call that masochistic, however you're entitled to differ,"_ her thoughts explained.

Jasper opened the door, muscled tensed and ready for anything. He was in full military mode. Emmett on the other had was in a right boisterous mood from a week of straight hunting and gorging himself. He was curious, but not alarmed.

"Hello," Alice greeted her husband.

Alice touched Jasper arm and he sensed her calmness. He never took his eyes off Elizabeth, but his muscles loosened. He would never doubt Alice and her emotional responses. Such was the extreme and ever trusting nature of their love.

"This is Elizabeth. She's friendly; very kind. She is one of us, a vegetarian. Carlisle found her. Oh, and you two are going to get along smashingly," Alice explained to Jasper with a beaming smile.

"Good to meet you," Jasper said in his most soothing bass voice as he filled the room with emotions of reassurance.

"It is good to meet you as well," Elizabeth said, steeping forward to shake his hand.

Instead, Jasper took her hand and raised it to his chin, kissing the air just above it.

_"Nicely, done. My darling husband knows a French accent when he hears it and acts accordingly and chivalrously. I sincerely hope you're hearing this Edward,"_ Alice's mental voice chided.

"Hello, I'm Emmett, the Cullen I'm sure they have told you all about…" Emmett said, stepping between Jasper and Elizabeth with a wicked grin.

"Yes, apparently you fancy yourself quite the practical jokester," Elizabeth laughed, shaking his hand firmly.

"Fancy? Oh, haha. I dare say it is more than a fancy," Emmett laughed, with a sinister waggle of his eyebrows.

"I'd have to agree," Jasper chuckled, if not slight conspiratorially. _"She's going to be a target now…"_

"Oh, by the way. I can read thoughts," Elizabeth said causally, and the boys did a double take.

"And she can see the future…" Alice added excitedly.

"And soon she's liable to be controlling our emotions," Carlisle said with a smile.

My brothers were baffled.

"Enough chitchat. We have to hide the three of you immediately. The drafters are going to be here soon," Alice said, tugging Jasper towards the woods by his hand.

"Why can't we fight? We might win the war…" Emmett whined as Rosalie dragged him behind Alice and Jasper.

"Blood," Elizabeth pronounced, following the other four.

For my part, I followed them as well, there was no one to drag me and I was far too apathetic to put up a fight. We headed to a structure that I would be pressed to call a shack.

"We aren't really staying here are we?" I complained, a bit.

"No, silly. They would find you here," Alice said somewhat condescendingly.

"So what, we're suppose to just hang in some tree and hide if anyone comes our way?" Emmett snorted not realising he was exactly right.

"Precisely," Alice said brightly.

"What if we need something?" Emmett began to whine.

"I suppose you big strong men will just have to fend for yourselves while your gorgeous wives lie to and possibly flirt with the officials," Rosalie added. _"Well truly, the flirting depends on the desperation of the official and whether or not it will motivate him to leave or return in search of a date. If he's married, I'll flirt just a tad. If he's single then I won't…"_

"Rose, could you please keep your thoughts to yourself?" I asked, somewhat annoyed at her idea of a clever tactic.

"Well, Edward. Technically I am keep my thoughts to myself. I don't voluntarily share them with you because I expect to get some joy or profound sense of connection out of it. You are the one who is making a choice here…" Rosalie began to rant.

"We should go… we don't want to miss the officials," Elizabeth suggested. _"You can thank me for saving you from the tirade that was headed your way later,"_ her thoughts added as she gave me a wink.


	8. Dodging The Draft

**EdwardPOV:**

"So what's up with the new broad?" Emmett asked, swinging from a tree branch that didn't look strong enough to support him.

"I don't think she'd appreciate being called a broad…" Jasper commented, as he watched Emmett and waited for the inevitable with me.

Crack! The branch snapped and Emmett allowed himself to fall to the ground, leaving a large crater in the soft and barely snow-covered earth.

"I thought the point of staying out here was to be inconspicuous. Leaving a large traceable mark in the earth defeats the purpose a little doesn't it?" I remarked.

"Edward, stop being so pretentious!" Emmett retorted. "Anyway… where was I? Oh, right the new br… uh I mean, doll. What's her deal?" _"I wonder if she and Edward have… ohhhh! I can't wait to get home and read his journals… bet he wrote about it. And she's got a great figure too…"_

"Emmett, stop getting carried away. Your thoughts sound like a gossiping old woman. It is nothing like that. She's not my type and I'm not hers," I replied.

"It's true. I didn't sense any affection between the two of them…" Jasper agreed.

"Fine then. Tell me what is up with her then!" Emmett said rather too loudly.

Jasper and I gave him pointed looks, but boisterous Emmett only shrugged his shoulders.

"She's odd," I said, for lack of any proper way to describe Elizabeth. "Carlisle found her a few days ago, working in the hospital with his patients. She's about two centuries for this life and has developed the ability to resist her thirst for human blood. She's got this crazy power… The Volturi would kill to have her on the guard. She can mimic other vampire's abilities after spending a little time with them. Other than that, it's odd because even though she's only stayed with us a few days, already she feels like family."

"Yes, I definitely felt everyone's respect for her. She's knit into the fabric of the household rather thoroughly considering we've only been gone a short time…" Jasper concluded.

'What I really mean is… is she available or is there some mysterious mate lurking around?" Emmett asked.

"Why, Em? You thinking of perusing her? That might make Rose a little ferocious…" I mocked, knowing from his thoughts that it was nothing more that curiosity, but relishing the opportunity to pester my brother.

"No! I mean, she's attractive and all, but no one tops my Rose. Ever."

"Speaking of our women… I wonder what they are doing right now…" Jasper said.

"My Rosie is probably making some poor sap…" _"Oh darn it. She better not be flirting with anyone!"_

"Don't worry Emmett. She only loves you," Jasper reassured.

"We should go hunting," I suggested. "It's not like we have anything better to do."

"I think we should stay here. I don't need to hunt, and I'd rather not accidentally kill a drafter lurking around in the woods," Jasper said.

"It would be convenient though, to kill the recruiters. I mean, is there a more effective way to dodge the draft?" Emmett wondered aloud.

I rolled my eyes.

**CarlislePOV:**

I watched from the top of the stairs as Esme opened the door, and welcomed the recruitment officer in. He was a man in his mid to late forties; too old to fight in the war himself, but able enough to recruit younger men, and likely a veteran of the last war. He had hard lines etched deeply into the flesh of his forehead and he looked as hough he felt uncomfortable.

"Afternoon, ma'am. I'm Sergeant Mathis, here from the U.S. Army. May I come in?" he said.

"Certainly. What can I do for you today?" Esme replied.

"Well I'm here to sign up any eligible young men in the household. It's required by law, you know."

"Well, all we have for men here is my husband, Carlisle. He's a doctor, but his eyesight is very poor. Always has been. I'll call him down," Esme replied. "Carlisle! Could you come downstairs? There is a man here to see you!"

I limped slightly down the stairs, for effect. I was wearing glasses, although the lenses served only to distort my vision. I could never have left my family alone, although I would be the best candidate of any of us to go.

"Hello," I said, when I reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Afternoon, sir. I'm Sergeant Mathis. I'm here to recruit eligible men to the war effort. I'd like you to come into our offices to complete a physical."

"Oh, I've already done the physical," I explained. It was true. Alice had foreseen the draft and I went to the offices to complete a falsified physical of a man unfit for war. "It should be in the records. Doctor Carlisle Cullen. I tried to sign up when the war began, to join on with the British forces. Apparently I didn't meet the requirements."

"I see. I'll check up on that," the sergeant replied, his tone suspicious. "Are there any other residents in the home?" He then asked, looking around as if to say he knew there must be others in such a large house.

"Yes, our nieces and their friend from up state. They are in the music room, I believe," Esme replied, gesturing for him to follow her.

We led the man, I following behind in accordance to my slight limp, to the music room. Rosalie was tinkling away at the piano and singing softly. She turned to look at the sergeant, gave a slight bat of the eyelashes and lowered her gaze, before turning back to the piano. In her mind, she was setting the bait for the ultimate distraction. Alice sat by the window, working at a piece of darning. Elizabeth had her nose in a book (it looked to be one of Edward's journals) and paid us no attention. It was a scene straight out of pride and Prejudice; the Bennet sisters awaiting Bingley and Darcy.

"Our daughter, Rosalie, at the piano," Esme began.

Rosalie stopped played and rose from the bench. She strode gracefully across the floor. I always found in unsettling the way men looked at our 'adopted' daughters. Although we are in theory predators, nothing compared to the filthy predatory looks men threw their way. If I could read minds like Edward, I'm certain I would have gone insane of killed someone long ago.

'Charmed," Rosalie offered.

"Our niece, Alice," I continued, a little unsettled by the slight grin of Rosalie's.

Alice looked up from her darning and smiled.

"I would offer you my hand sir, but I'm afraid it is rather occupied darning socks for the veterans at my dear uncle's hospital. Please forgive me," Alice offered, which must have been a cue for Rosalie to bat her eyelashes.

"And lastly, their friend and travelling companion, the orphaned Miss Elizabeth," Esme finished.

It only took that introduction for the sergeant's eyes to be pulled sharply from Rosalie and directed towards Elizabeth. He seemed a man utterly enchanted, in spite of the wedding band that was noticeable on his finger. He strode towards Elizabeth, who had not even looked up from her book.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss," the sergeant said, offering her his hand.

"I'm afraid the pleasure will have to be all yours, sir. For it is no pleasure to me to have my reading interrupted. Now, if you are quite finished staring at me, and you ought to be, having ascertained that I am not a draft-able male, I should ask you kindly to remove yourself from my reading light," Elizabeth said curtly, disarming the man.

"Uh…umm… I should be going then. Thank you kindly… I'll be checking into your files Mr. Cullen," the sergeant stammered, heading speedily out of the room.

"Oh, please let me show you to the door," Esme offered.

"I believe I recall the way. No need to make an effort ma'am. Thank you kindly," he said as parting words.

We waited for the front double doors to click shut.

"How rude," we heard him say to himself as he crunched along the gravel drive back to his waiting car.


	9. Damage to the Floorboards

**CarlislePOV:**

"We're not out of the woods yet," Alice said ominously.

"Ah, five minutes from now?" Elizabeth said, apparently responding to Alice's thoughts.

Alice nodded. I waited patiently for the girls to explain. Rosalie was far more impatient and tapped her foot rudely against the wooden floorboards.

"Just wait," Elizabeth pronounced, calmly.

We stood, frozen in the music room, waiting.

"From how far away can our thoughts reach Edward?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not certain. I believe he said it depends on how attuned he is to someone," I replied.

"Carlisle, Esme, could you think-tell him that they need to hide. Drafters are about to sweep the woods, and storm the house… in three, two…one," Elizabeth concluded.

On cue, five distinct sets of footsteps came storming up the gravel driveway. Esme cringed as the broke down the door.

_"HIDE EDWARD! HIDE NOW!"_ I thought..

It all seemed so planned between the girls. Rosalie screamed as the men stormed into the room in uniform. Alice make an effort to fall out of her chair. Elizabeth rose to her feet and a look of fierce anger rose on her face.

"What the devil is going on here?" Elizabeth demanded.

"You could have knocked… no need to damage the door," Esme said in quiet contrast.

"Sorry ma'am. We are searching your home. We believe you to be harbouring draft dodgers," A young unidentified officer said to Esme with crisp authority.

"This is preposterous," Elizabeth fumed, stepping in the path of the officer.

"Miss, get out of my way, or I'll have you arrested," he snapped in reply.

Though she was short, Elizabeth rose to meet his height.

"Miss, if you get in the way of my investigation, so help me…" he began, raising his voice.

"You may search my property; I have nothing to hide… However, I will NOT have you or your men acting disrespectfully to these young ladies," I intervened, making my face more fierce than I should normally like to.

The army men stomped about the house, their hard-soled boots resonating on the hardwood floor. Esme cringed, and I knew she was concerned about the dents they were likely leaving in the flooring. The house was her pride and joy and she hated to see it damaged needlessly or purposefully. Elizabeth was indignant at first while the officers eyed her suspiciously.

"It's just an act on my part, Carlisle. Don't worry," she whispered to fast for the humans to hear.

Still, I worried. The original sergeant looked to be searching for a way to have her arrested. This was likely to some end of perversion, however I had no one to confirm my suspicion.

Every door in the house was opened, every pantry and shelf emptied and their contents strewn on the floor. Then, the men moved out into the yard, peering under the porch and then venturing out into the woods. I could only pray that the boys would hear them coming and get out of the way.

**EdwardPOV:**

_"…HIDE NOW!…"_ a snippet of Carlisle's thoughts drifted my way.

I instantly tensed and Jasper took notice.

"What is it?" he asked. _"You're on edge… Has something gone wrong at the house? Are they all right? Is Alice safe?! What's going on?!"_

"Calm. We need to hide now. Something's happening but I don't know what," I replied.

"Should we get out of here or go back to the house?" Emmett asked.

_"Go back. I must protect my Alice!"_ Jasper's thoughts declared.

"No. We stay out here… we'll we should get away from the divot Em made in the ground, and hide. Carlisle told me to hide," I said in a rush, hoping to keep Jasper from doing anything rash.

We ran through the woods and jumped the creek. Emmett hid beneath a large pile of snow, and Jasper smoothed it to keep it from looking suspicious. I clambered up a tree, as did Jasper.

_"I bet Rose did something stupid… don't you dare tell her I thought that, by the way Still, I bet it was her…"_ Emmett thought.

_"If Alice is hurt or caught or anything…if she is even remotely emotionally distressed, I will tear you head from your shoulders, Edward… I was in the army, and so help me I will do it…"_ Jasper threatened.

"She's fine. I just saw her in Carlisle's thoughts, and she's smiling," I lied, but it worked all the same and he believed me. Intuitively I knew Alice could handle herself. "Besides the threat is human… and worst one of us killed one of them and now some lynch mob is coming with pitch forks and torches to…"

"Shh, Edward. I hear someone coming…" Jasper said, peering out across the forest floor.

I saw them also. They were still far off, and had yet to cross the creek. They were army officials and their thoughts told me they were looking for draft dodgers.

**CarlislePOV:**

Elizabeth gave up her indignant act and went back to reading the volume I suspected to be one of Edward's journals. In the interest of being polite, Esme and Rose went to make tea for the officers. Alice merely looked out the window.

_"Elizabeth, if that is one of Edward's journals you are reading, scratch your forehead,"_ I thought.

She scratched ever so softly at her forehead.

I had to admit it was odd that she was reading them; she actually looked engaged by his words. I suppose she was full of surprises that one.

"We're done searching your house now," the sergeant announced, abruptly.

"Everything in order?" I inquired.

"It would seem so," he replied suspiciously. "I will still be checking on your file…"

"I would expect no less," I said, glad as he took his men from my house.

The women assembled in the kitchen and I joined them. The smell of hot tea, something I had once loved, reeked throughout the room.

"Dreadful stuff this is… slurry of water and plant leaves," Rosalie said disgustedly, as she poured the remnants down the drain.

"Are we in the clear now?" I inquired of Alice.

"Yes," she replied. "I'm going out there to let them know they can come back in… but we'll have to keep up this charade for a while. The sergeant is going to have us watched."


	10. A Second Diversion

**_AN- SOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!! I have been busy with grad etc. So, please forgive me!_**

**EdwardPOV:**

"Jasper…Jasper…Jasper!" I heard Alice's voice calling out. _"Come out my love… oh and you too Edward. You can all come out now."_

"It would seem the coast is clear," I said, jumping down from my perch in the tree.

Jasper ran to Alice and in an uncharacteristic action, swept her up into his arms and fervently kissed her face and hair. They were completely absorbed in one another. In the end, it was Emmett, not I, who cleared his throat to interrupt them.

"Right then, back to the house…" Alice said.

"What happened?" Emmett asked.

"Drafters decided to sweep the house. I'm not exactly sure why, but I think Liz knows. Oh, and they left some dents in the floors, so expect to start fixing those after Christmas," she replied, and by then we were all running at a leisurely pace back to the house.

Alice's thoughts ran over the events, and one little image caught my attention.

"Elizabeth is reading my journals!" I said slightly louder than intended.

Emmett began laughing and Jasper's mouth tugged into a slight grin. Alice merely shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, come on! Stop being such a scrooge, little brother. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow," said Emmett. _"Besides, we all read your journals anyway… 'I grow more constantly weary of my existence each day and can barely face myself in the mirror'… You're so melodramatic at times!"_

I scowled slightly. "It can't be Christmas Eve tomorrow… Elizabeth can't have been here that long," I said.

Alice rolled her eyes. _"Edward, tomorrow is Christmas Eve,"_ she thought.

_"Poor kid… he's in so much mental pain that he's losing track of days…"_ Jasper thought.

**CarlislePOV:**

"So, what exactly triggered them to return?" I asked, Elizabeth.

"That Sergeant noticed Edward's engraved fountain pen stand on the desk next to me," she explained, pointing to the gift Rosalie had given Edward upon his return. "He assumed Edward to be the name of a man I might be involved with… thought that my sitting next to his engraved pen meant me to be more than just a traveling companion of the others. That is why he threatened to have me arrested. I am terribly sorry, I should have thought to hide the pen, but I did not noticed the engraving… it was facing away from me."

"It's alright…" I said, tempted to hug her as a means of comfort but thinking better of it; I did not yet know how she would receive such a gesture.

"How bad is the damage to the flooring? I'll have some money wired from my European account to cover the repairs," she offered.

"That is not necessary dear," Esme said, placing a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.

Just then, Edward, Jasper, Emmett, and Alice came through the back door. Emmett was covered in snow from head to toe; close to his cold skin it did not melt, and as a result in made him look quite odd.

"They will be back. The Sergeant wasn't satisfied in finding nothing," Elizabeth said by way of greeting.

"Why?" Edward began. His words cut off as Elizabeth made eye contact, presumably sharing her thoughts. "Damn it. I should have known to hide the pen…"

"It's fine, son… nothing we cannot deal with," I assured him, as Edward had the terrible habit of being far too hard on himself.

"Oh, my! I almost forgot… Darling, we should be headed off now… the soup kitchen, remember?" Esme reminded.

"Oh, blast! That's right, we volunteered to help out this evening and next! Well, we'd best be off then. Have a good evening you six," I said, as Esme and I grabbed our coats and dashed out the door.

**EdwardPOV:**

So there we were, Elizabeth and I, locked in a staring contest to end all staring contests. We were completely silent and the others thought we were possibly insane.

_"You read my journals!"_ I accused.

_"Yes. I shan't even attempt to deny it. They were laying around,"_ her thoughts replied in a rather dismissive manner.

_"How dare you! That's an absolute invasion of privacy!"_

_"Privacy?!"_ her thoughts chuckled. _"What privacy? You're under the illusion that you have privacy? I can read your thoughts for God's sake!"_

I was rather taken aback by such language coming from the mind of a lady.

_"Oh, come now. I can cuss quite as well as a sailor should I wish it…"_ her thoughts replied with indignation.

I couldn't help it. I grinned a little.

She laughed. The others stared at us, perplexed. They thought us thoroughly odd.

"Well aren't we foolish then, fighting over something so trivial?" she said aloud.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "You aren't foolish, Liz. If anything Edward's the fool."

"And you're basing this conclusion on?" I asked.

"You're to blame nine times out of ten, Eddie," Emmett chuckled and ruffled my hair, much to my annoyance.

"What do you say to a snowball fight?" Elizabeth offered. _"Diversion number two today… you we me double now, Edward."_

"Yes!" Emmett shouted. "Don't worry, love, I'll make sure your fur coat doesn't get wet," he added after Rosalie gave him a rather pointed look.

"Teams?" jasper inquired with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Me and Rose. You and Alice. And then we can each get a mind-reader!" Emmett exclaimed.

"Brilliant," Jasper agreed.

"We want Elizabeth," Alice said.

"I guess, we'll take Edward," Rosalie said.

"Gee thanks, ladies," I drawled sarcastically.

"Twenty minutes to strategize and stake out house bases?" Elizabeth proposed.

"Perfect," I agreed.

"Strategy… my forte," Jasper thought.

The battle of the century was about to begin…


	11. Snowball Fight

**EdwardPOV:**

Strategy with Rosalie and Emmett wasn't exactly a roaring success. Rose's strategy consisted of keeping her clothing neat and tidy and avoiding anything that might rouse human suspicion. Emmett wanted to rely upon his sheer strength, my speed, and a surprise attack. I wasn't so certain.

"So what are they planning?" Rosalie asked.

"I don't know..." I replied.

"How in the name of... do you not know? You read thoughts!" she replied, somewhat perturbed.

"Well, it would so happen, Rosalie-the-impatient, that I can only hear what they are thinking at a moment, and Jasper is thinking strategy but he punctuates it with random things... not to mention he could also be misleading me with false thoughts..."

"Well what are the others thinking?" Emmett asked. "Do us a favour here... I want to win."

"Well from what I can catch, it seems that they are planning an elaborate battle... Jasper is in his element. If they aren't thinking anything false, it looks as though they are setting up a fort in the south part of the woods. It's going to be their main cache. There is only one way into it... but I think we could circumvent that... Does that suffice?" I said.

"Nicely done..." Emmett commended.

We began to make preparations to storm their fort and win in a swift and forceful manner. Still, I could not shake a phantom laughter from my mind. It was almost as though Elizabeth's thoughts were laughing at me, but I could not be sure.

"How much ammo do they have?" Emmett asked for the twelfth time.

I updated him, and we produced some snow balls of our own. It would be Rosalie's job to keep them and carry them as we forged onward. Time ticked away. Finally, ten minutes of strategizing was over.

Emmett and I moved swiftly through the woods, our feet barely touching the snow-covered ground. Rosalie followed silently behind; her thoughts of complaint at being treated like a packhorse warring with her competitive urge to be victorious.

I motioned for silence as we crept nearer to the other's hideaway. There was a definite advantage to our heightened senses, even though we did not use them as intended (for hunting humans). I smelled the dormant grass beneath the snow, heard the inaudible and subtle flow of sap within the trees, and I saw the multifaceted light gleaming off the ice crystals. The silence was nearly deafening. I heard Elizabeth thinking about the best way to form snowballs, but Jasper and Alice`s thoughts were nothing more than observations on the properties of snow. Something was up...

BAM!

Snowballs, ice balls, and the odd rock-ball pelted us from all sides. We had been ambushed! Rosalie handed Emmett a few snowballs, but in the onslaught, it was difficult to tell if any reached their targets. I moved quick, trying to run out of the fray. I could hear footsteps giving pursuit. I was certain it was Emmett or Rose retreating as well.

Then, BAM! BAM! BAM! Three snowballs crashed against the back of my head at once. Fast as lightening, I spun around, scooping up snow and balling it as I went. With precision aim, I dealt the more forceful blow I could manage. My target, the thin Elizabeth, was struck squarely in the chest and stumbled backwards. She threw herself forward, though, and barrelled into me. I began to fall backwards, but dodged to the left, so that we both fell into the ground, leaving indents in the earth.

Elsewhere, through Alice's thoughts I saw Jasper and Emmett resorting to wrestling. Em had a bit of an advantage, but Jasper was never to be under estimated. On the sidelines, Rosalie had dropped all the snowballs as she watched the men, her arms crossed. Alice threw a snowball her way. This incurred a glare and began other round of volleying snowballs, but at a much gentler pace.

Elizabeth chuckled a bit as she read both Alice's thoughts, and my thoughts. Then, quick as can be she took off into the woods.

_"Catch me if you can!"_ her thoughts taunted.

I gave her a few moments head start, to make the pursuit more interesting. It would have been pointless for me to catch up with her right away. Then, I rose from the snow and took off in her direction. She had taken an evasive course and was harder to follow than I had anticipated. Not to mention, her thoughts were focused entirely on taunting me, so I couldn't even get a glimpse of where she was. After a long run, I had been led in a circle.

She was back in the clearing of their original ambush laughing with Alice and Rosalie, while Jasper and Emmett competed in a snowball distance-throwing challenge.

"Ah, Edward, nice of you to finally join us," Elizabeth said with a laugh.

"How does it feel being had?" Alice taunted.

"Not great... but then again you knew how it would all go down," I replied.

"True..." Alice replied with a shrug.

"So, what do we get as victors?" Jasper said.

"Nothing," Emmett replied.

"Well that's rather anti-climatic," Elizabeth said.

"I think we ought to get to open our gifts first in the morning," Alice said.

"That sounds fair enough," I replied.

The others nodded in agreement.

***

The next morning I emerged from the den, just as Elizabeth was returning from a hunting trip outdoors. Her eyes burned golden.

"Good hunt?" I asked.

"Excellent. I found a lovely bit of bobcat," she replied, licking a residual drop of dried blood from the corner of her lips.

"We're waiting!" Alice called from the library, where the gifts had been moved under a large tree.

No sooner had we entered that I took notice of a rather large and completely beautiful Grand Piano.

"I know Alice informed me that the victors were supposed to open gifts first, but I simply had to see the look on your face, dear," Esme said to me.

"You bought that...for me?" I asked, rather stunned.

Esme nodded and smiled. I walked over to her, and embraced her.

"Thank you..." I said to her.

"Well, aren't you going to play?" Alice asked, joyfully.

"What should I play?" I asked.

"How about some carols?" Carlisle suggested.

I struck the keys and it sounded beautiful. It was truly one of the best days of my existence.

**_AN- And so that was my take on how Edward got his first grand piano..._**


	12. Melody and Harmony

**CarlislePOV:**

Edward played the piano and his spirits were much lifted. As his spirits lifted however, Elizabeth's spirits seemed to fade. As the rest of us went out for an exhilarating run about the woods, she remained inside, in the library, where Edward was normally secluded. It was a shame; she seemed to be fitting in so well.

"Carlisle, I'm not sure what's wrong with her, but I assure you she's not in any dire condition," Edward assured me.

**EdwardPOV:**

_"Edward, take a walk away from others with me,"_ Carlisle thought. "Esme, you and the others go back to the house. Enjoy yourselves. Edward and I need a few moments..." he said.

Alice looked at me suspiciously, but said nothing as they turned away from us. Carlisle and I ran deeper into the woods, well out of ear shot. Carlisle leaned against a tree stump, attempting to be relaxed, but I could read the tension in his thoughts.

"I worry for our little family. It's not just Elizabeth, Edward. Jasper and Alice only joined us a few years ago, even though it seems like it has been much longer... Alice fits so well, and Jasper could too... if his thirst wasn't so consuming," Carlisle began. "I worry about how he is adjusting. I wish he could reap the same benefits that you have; being able to mingle with humans, not having to lock yourself away. Just be honest with me Edward, is he coping?"

"It's a real struggle for him. He's been so used to satiating his thirst whenever he saw fit that it is difficult for him to resist his urges. It's his love of Alice that has kept him together so far... certainly it is not as though he hasn't feasted on humans since meeting us, but he is cutting back. Every effort he makes is for Alice; he wants to be better for her," I explained.

"Do you foresee it being easier for him?"

"Personally, I do not foresee anything. So far as Alice has been able to see, it will take... time."

Carlisle nodded, not particularly reassured, but satisfied by the answer.

"It's not your fault, Carlisle. His former habits aren't conductive to our lifestyle, but there is nothing more you can do to alter that. You have his respect... he just needs time."

"And what about Emmett? Is he being influenced by Jasper's habits?" he asked.

"No. His break last week would have happened either way. His thoughts were very... vivid..." I said with as a shiver rolled down my spine from remembrance of it. "Her blood called to him. It was strong, overpowering even."

Carlisle nodded once. "And Elizabeth?"

"She hides herself away beneath layers of mental self-defence. Something happened to her, but I do not know what or when. She is no threat... fully committed to this life style; from what I can tell, she has never tasted human blood."

"I worry about my family, our family, Edward." "I worry about you..."

"I know," was all I could say.

Carlisle clapped me on the shoulder and we walked exceedingly slowly (at a human pace) back to the house. Music drifted out onto the lawn as we approached.

Elizabeth sat at the piano, her fingers drifting almost lazily through a piece by Mozart, as she chatted to Jasper about something or other that I wasn't really listening to. I was firstly struck by the beauty and ease of the piece; clearly she had been classically trained. Secondly, I was taken aback by the fact that it was Jasper of all the Cullens that she was talking with. Thirdly, it was surprising that he seemed engaged. Jasper was rarely animated in conversations; he was slightly reluctant to trust (his close friendship with Emmett and his sudden and intense love for Alice being exceptions).

"...ah yes, I have long thought so..." Elizabeth was saying.

"Have you seen New Orleans in the day? I remember it being the most tempting place in the world..." Jasper said.

"Hmm. I tend to avoid such temptation. I haven't the heart for it. You must try the Mediterranean Sea by night... very soothing," she replied.

"Perhaps..." he replied.

"I imagine the general attitudes and emotional atmosphere of the people around might affect your experience significantly," she was saying.

"Yes... it's why I have been trying at this lifestyle as well. It is so difficult to feel your prey's pain..."

I decided to interrupt at this moment.

"Elizabeth, you play very well," I said.

"Oh, do play a duet!" Esme enthused.

"I'm afraid I do not know any duets..." Elizabeth replied, stepping away from the piano. "However, I'd be more than delighted to listen to Edward play... Esme tells me you compose."

"Oh Edward... I have a challenge for you!" Rosalie cried as I sat at the bench. "Write a brief theme for each of us... on the spot."

"Fine. I accept," I said.

I began with a soft, lullaby in major chords in standard time.

"Esme," I declared.

Then I diminished the lullaby, taking parts of its melody and turning them into the harmony of something new. This new piece had a calm but consistent pace, still in major chords; distinguished and complex.

"Carlisle," I said, while playing.

"Oh, do me next!" Alice pleaded.

I picked up the pace, created a sweeping waltz fit for a dreamscape. The chords were at times odd and some of the harmonies dissonant, but together it worked.

It was then logical to move on to Jasper. I began in a clipping military march infused with minor chords.

"Jasper?" Rosalie asked.

I nodded.

Then I played a saccharine sweet melody, with no harmony. Purely Rosalie; no depth for the most part.

"Rose," I said, before moving on to Emmett's theme.

For Emmett I chose a rollicking carnival-like melody, but with strong major chorded harmonies. It was a boisterous theme.

"That's me right?" Emmett asked, and the other's nodded my reply for me.

I stopped playing.

"You forgot Elizabeth..." Alice reminded me.

"So I did. My apologies," I said, sitting back down at the piano.

It took me a few minutes of thought to come up with the right combination. It was an almost haunted waltz with minor chords and a light melody. It was hesitant and seemed to fade in and out.

When I finished the others applauded. She looked me in the eye, nodded only once, and disappeared.


	13. Events Soon Regretted

**EdwardPOV:**

I stared after her as she left, with nothing more than a flash of thought (her crumpled figure next to some stone) to explain what I had done wrong. I was perplexed. My hands stopped moving over the keys.

"Edward, you have forgotten yourself... What is your theme?" Esme said, dragging me back into the present.

"Ah... I... I don't know, Esme. My apologies," I said, as I rose from the piano bench. I could not believe they had not noticed Elizabeth had fled.

I looked at Alice.

_"She's not gone far. For now, we stay here..."_ she thought.

I shook my head, no. I could tell from the flash of thought I had gotten before she left that Elizabeth was in some form of emotional pain. No matter what had caused it, I wasn't about to be a horrid friend and allow her to suffer alone. She was staying with the Cullens now and we would support her.

_"Edward..."_ Alice's thoughts pleaded. I decided to ignore her. She likely just thought I was overreacting.

"I'm going out looking for Elizabeth," I announced. "Anyone up to join me?"

"I'm game," Emmett offered.

"Anyone else?" I asked.

"No, and if you don't mind terribly, I'm going to play on your new Steinway while you are gone," Rosalie said, somewhat bored by me.

"Edward..." Alice began to say.

"We'll be home in a jiffy," I offered, as Emmett and I ran out, following Elizabeth's scent.

We slid into the shadows, Emmett and I. He led the way by a half-step, his still almost new senses sharp. We skimmed along the tree line near the house, her scent evading something near the side of the drive; another scent, human. I tensed, hoping Em wasn't in full out hunting mode.

"...just find her Em... ignore the rest," I whispered to him.

His eyes rolled, dramatically. _"I know, kiddo."_

There must have been someone watching; one of the guards from the recruiter's office perhaps. No matter though, their scent had gone in the opposite direction of hers, and we were following her. We slunk low, along the shadows of the drive and down the wooded lane, heading east. That was when I realised that she might be headed into town and I hoped for our sake that there would be no one wandering the streets at this time of night on Christmas Day.

We continued on into the city, always avoiding the streetlights, moving as quickly and quiet as ghosts. Only the lecherous were out; the sort of people I had only stopped hunting a few years previous. Their thoughts made me feel vengeful and my blood boiled.

_"...I'm-a-gonna bleed that son-o-bitch till he's broke. Ain't no one gonna con Tommy Jones..."_

_"That Millie, she's one mighty fine little moll..."_

Then I noticed her face in the thoughts of the letches going down Main Street. One decided to approach her as she turned down a back alley towards the entrance of a back alley bar.

"Hey there, little tomato..." he called out to her.

She continued on down the alley at a measured pace.

"Oh, little mama, don't be like that!" he shouted, chasing after her.

"Pardon me, but I don't believe we are acquainted, so if you could stop calling after me..." she replied, turning on her heel to face him.

He let out a low whistle, upon seeing her face. "Well, there's one way to fix that, gorgeous... let me buy you a drink..."

She chuckled once, darkly, as Em and I continued to approach.

"What do you think I'd drink?" she chuckled at him.

He cringed involuntarily, as she smiled at revealed her gleaming teeth. _"What am I cringing for? Man's got one hell of a doll in front of him and he's quaking in his boots... gotta pull myself together. Ain't nothing to be 'fraid of,"_ he was thinking.

He had yet to answer, so Elizabeth turned and continued walking down the dark alley way. One step, two steps, three steps; clicking heels along the icy pavement.

"Gin Martini," the man said in a clear voice.

She stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at him.

"Completely wrong," she replied, no longer smiling.

She continued on down the alley, brushing off the man's advances. He debated shouting out another drink, but refrained from speaking. It was then that it became clear to me that he was intoxicated. He stumbled forward, to chase after her. Emmett and I were closing in, creeping into the mouth of the alley, but I had no doubts that Elizabeth could handle herself.

That was when everything went horribly wrong. The man stumbled and slipped on a small patch of ice. He fell to the ground, his head hitting the sharp edge of the curb. Suddenly, Emmett was gone from my side. The scent of blood hit my nostrils and I fought with myself to hold my breath. Elizabeth gasped, but it was far too quiet for any but us to hear.

The man never even had a chance to scream. Emmett's teeth sunk deep into his neck, slicing through the vocal chords completely.

I groaned. I hadn't been out hunting in a week and just watching Emmett feed was making me thirsty. This was of course warring with my conscience, and knowing how disappointed Carlisle was going to be when we got home.

_"Let him finish... if we try to stop him now, we'll have a commotion on our hands,"_ Elizabeth thought. _"Then take him back to the house."_

_"And what of the corpse?"_ I thought in response.

_"Dump it in the Hudson... or bury it in the woods far from the house... the means matters not, so long as you achieve the ends,"_ her thoughts replied.

"And what is your role in all this?" I asked aloud.

"I have...things to attend to... unfinished business and all that," she said.

"Things brought out by a song?" I hissed, somewhat angry that she was leaving me to clean up after Emmett's mistake myself, even though she was implicitly involved.

"Yes," she said weakly, before fleeing into a dark door next to the one of the speakeasy.

"Of all the cowardly, spineless, inexplicably things!" I muttered, waiting rather impatiently for Emmett to finish.

"Women, my brother... they aren't meant to make much sense..." Emmett stated, his now crimson eyes sheepish, as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Oh, so you're done now?" I said, sarcastically.

Emmett looked at the ground. _"I don't know what came over me..."_ he thought.

"Well, let's hurry and dump this corpse before anyone else comes along," I suggested in a more forgiving tone.

_"Carlisle is going to be so disappointed..."_ Em thought.

That I could not deny.


	14. No Need To Confess

**EdwardPOV:**

We rolled the body in Emmett's coat and ran to the dark and deserted river bank. We heaved the body into the churning, ice cold waters, not tossing in Emmett's coat, as it might be evidence if the body were ever found... not that any human's were aware that Emmett existed; he was still too bloodthirsty to be included in their society.

"We're going to have to burn the coat," I murmured, as we ran back to the house.

Emmett replied only in thought with a dejected agreement.

As much as I was irritated with the situation, I hoped that Jasper could be useful in easing some of Em's tension when we got back. Normally, these little slips didn't get to boisterous Emmett, but he had thought himself in control when we had set out to find Elizabeth; he had killed without being thirsty. He had only just returned from hunting the day before.

We ran up the long drive, slowing only as we mounted the porch steps. I halted, my hand on the door knob, waiting for Emmett to be ready. He nodded at me, but kept his eyes on the floor, ashamed. I turned the polished brass door handle.

_"I told you to leave it be..."_ Alice's thoughts greeted me, as we entered the house.

The family was loosely lined along the walls, facing us as we entered. Their thoughts bombarded me.

_"Oh, dear, poor Emmett..."_ Esme thought.

_"I can't believe Edward allowed my Emmett to come along... If he can read thoughts, he ought to have seen Alice's vision and not dragged my love along on his doomed little jaunt,"_ Rosalie berated.

It was Carlisle's opinion that mattered most to both Emmett and myself.

"Edward... Emmett... Alice has told us what happened," Carlisle began, his tone even. "I am... disappointed. I am not disappointed that human blood was spilt and a life ended, so much as I am disappointed that vital signs were ignored and a fair warning was not headed. Edward, I believe you owe your brother an apology."

I nodded once. "I am sorry I was so reckless. I did not pay enough attention to what Alice was trying to show me."

"If it weren't for your mistake, my Emmett wouldn't have slipped up!" Rosalie hissed.

"Rosalie, that is enough," Carlisle commanded. "Mistakes happen. We will all be more vigilant in the future. That is all that can be done."

"Everyone is under the assumption that I cannot or do not wish to speak for myself," Emmett said at last, looking up to meet the family's gaze.

No one let out a shocked gasp at the crimson of his irises. Apart from Carlisle, we were all rather new to this existence; even the most compassionate among us, Esme, had slipped up at some time or another.

"I am sorry. I mean, the fellow probably didn't have a family, and likely wasn't up to any good, being that he was prowling the dark back streets on Christmas night... so, I don't feel terrible. I am sorry because I know how much faith you put in me, Carlisle, and I don't really want to disappoint you," Emmett said with a shrug of his large shoulders at the end.

It was the most articulate I had ever heard Em.

"I appreciate your words, Emmett. I am not so disappointed, because you realise your error," Carlisle responded.

Rosalie took Em by the hand then, shot me a parting glare, and headed upstairs. Esme looked very sad; she always wanted the best for us. In so many ways she felt as though we were her real children. It was so that the rest of us stood there for a moment, still and in silence.

"Jasper?" Alice asked, after a moment, indicating her entire intent in one word. _"Shall we go upstairs...?"_

He inclined his head towards her and nodded only once, simply. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and together they ran from the room.

"Carlisle, would you like to accompany me for a walk along the lane to look at the Christmas lights?" Esme asked.

"Oh, I ought to have told you... we caught the scent of a human on the property. I believe we are under surveillance," I informed them.

"Ah, well then, no walking for my crippled husband," Esme said, kissing Carlisle on the cheek. "I am going to do some sketches upstairs. Join me in a few, my love?"

"But of course," Carlisle agreed with a smile, as Esme ghosted up the stairs. _"Edward, a moment please?"_

I nodded in response.

_"You understand now my fear for our little family?"_ he thought.

I nodded again.

_"I think we should let Elizabeth be. She will return if she desires..."_

"She'll return. She's left her things here."

_"Oh?"_

"She said she had business to tend to..." I replied, rolling my eyes.

It was Carlisle's turn to nod. Then, he walked away, mentally bidding me goodnight.

I stalked over to the library, wondering what on earth Elizabeth was tending to.

**_AN- Okay so that was a short chapter, I know. I believe that I am going to break the POV mould next chapter... The Next Chap will be ElizPOV._**


	15. Elizabeth's interlude

**ElizabethPOV:**

I ghosted through the door, into the back room of a bit of a mafia operation, under the guise of a florist. Nadia, the owner's daughter looked up from her romance novel to give me a half-hearted nod.

"Papa, is in the basement," she directed casually. She was accustomed to the drill by now.

"Thank you, Nadia," I said, pulling a new romance from the inner pocket of my jacket and handing it to her; an act of courtesy that secured my anonymity.

She received the paperback without a word, and I proceeded down the rickety stairs to the basement. The smell of imported cigars, rich food, and strong gin permeated the air. On the fringe, I could also detect the scent of bleach failing to overcome the base fragrance of mildew. As I neared the bottom of the stairs, I saw the man I had came to see, sitting at a felted games tabled, dealing cards to four other players.

"Elizabeth!" he shouted as my first foot hit the basement's cement floor.

He rose from the table, buttoning his suit jacket as he did so. He smiled widely, spreading his arms open.

"The more time passes the more you stay the same," he remarked, pulling me into a hug.

"So it would seem..." I quipped. "You look well, though, Andrei."

"You do flatter me. Come, sit. Boris," he instructed, snapping his fingers once.

The man named Boris rose from his seat and offered it to me.

"Re-deal the hand. She will take Boris' spot for the time being," Andrei commanded, and the others obeyed.

I was offered a cigar, which I accepted out of duty (I knew full well it would do my lungs no harm) thought the taste was dreadful. The game it seemed was poker. Excellent. I let Andrei win the first hand; a small loss of Boris' money, which Boris responded to with a sigh as if to say that he had not expected me to play well. It was during the second hand that the conversation began.

"Are you looking for work Elizabeth? I think Jimmy, from uptown, is running a small time tourist scam and he could use a spotter," Andrei offered me, with a gesture of his broad hand.

"I could use you for some pick pocketing on New Year's Eve," the man named Viktor added.

"Generous offers..." I mused quietly.

"You do have a unique talent for pick pocketing," Viktor complimented. "One usually doesn't see such swiftness excepting Romani, of course."

"Where do you think I found her?" Andrei boomed. "The little imp was in a caravan of Romani back in the motherland. Tell them, dear one..."

"I was kidnapped by a family in the caravan from my parent's house. I was the intended bride for their son..." I began. "Of course they taught me to read palms; a load of rubbish really... and to steal."

"I was in the process of threatened the caravan leader for thieving from my wife, when this little beauty runs over and pleads with me to take her with me," he laughed.

"I do really need work at the moment," I said after a moment's silence.

"Then what can we do for you, child?" Andrei asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I am in need of a vehicle or a dealer of vehicles... some way to obtain a fast car, without a serial number, fake plates, and a tank full of gas," I explained.

"Are you hot?" Boris asked, suspicious that I was being tailed by police or worse yet, G-men.

"No. I need to get out to Montana in a hurry. It's more or less a personal matter..." I reassured.

"Viktor, write Mickey Disoro's address on a card. Mickey is my go-to guy for such matters. I will call ahead and ensure you are taken care of... Head on out and I'll give him a ring," Andrei said.

"Thank you very much," I said, replacing my cards on the table and putting out my cigar.

I lingered outside the house until I hear Andrei make the call, then I ran, swift and light as the winter air itself, to the address I had been given. I ran the bell once and was greeted by a man in a bathrobe, Mickey.

"Andy said there was a rush..." he said, clearly resenting having his sleep interrupted by mob business.

"Where's the car?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"In the garage," he grumbled.

"Make and model?" I asked.

"Lincoln Model K," he replied, opening the garage door.

It was a bit more extravagant than I had been hoping for. It's black paint gleamed and I wondered if it had ever been run.

"It's a bit conspicuous, don't you think?" I wondered aloud.

Mickey merely shrugged. I decided it was best to get down to business.

"In working condition?" I asked.

"Purrs like a kitten," he replied.

I had to admit it would be a swift car, with its strong engine, and a larger fuel tank.

"Gas in the tank?" I inquired.

"It's full, miss."

"License plates?" I asked.

"A different untraceable plate for every state, in a concealed compartment under the rear passenger seat," he replied, brusquely. "If you don't mind... I don't want to attract any attention."

"Of course..." I replied, hopping into the car and handing him twenty dollars in singles.

His reply was the clink of the keys in my hand. The car roared to life and I accelerated quickly, escaping into the dark night.

By the next evening, I was in Montana. The sun was just beginning to set. All the shops were closed for Boxing Day and not a soul lurked on the streets of the city where I stopped. So, I picked the lock of the nearest florists and took a bunch of roses. Granted, they would not last long in the cold, but they would suffice. I left a few bills from my wallet on the counter before re-locking the door and creeping out into the night.

I knew the streets very well, almost instinctually, and this gave me great sadness. There are places in life, dark places that break the soul, which once traveled to are not soon forgotten; this was one of them.

I did not both with the plain wrought iron gate. I leapt over the high hedge wall with ease. I knew my destination, fourth row on the right, twelve tombstones in. The headstone itself was very simple; it's only unique feature being the dog tag imbedded in the concrete. I laid the roses at the base of the stone, tracing my fingers lightly over the inscription. The words were burned into my mind more freshly and more painfully than the fires of transformation.

_George Andrew Green. 1894-1914. Valiant in life and death._

There lay my love; my fiancé, the remnants of my cold dead heart, and most of my soul. It was my tradition to visit his grave on Christmas. Being with the Cullens had caused me to lose track of time and forget to an extent by grief. He had proposed to me on Christmas. Though he was human and I not, I had truly believed that we could be together. It seemed however that fate... and certain other parties... had disagreed.

"Good evening, Most High," Felix leered from the shadows behind me. "A few days late, are you not?"

"Have you no idea how irksome that title gets? It's not as though I applied for this position," I replied.

"Well, why don't we _discuss_ this in the woods… _alone_… just you and I, darling," he leered. "I assure you your requests will be conveyed to Aro."

"Even if I was remotely attracted to you, Felix…" I said, shaking my head. "Even if I didn't _highly_ suspect that you and or Demetri were physically involved in the murder or the man whose grave we stand upon at this moment…"

"Oh, and you didn't even leave me the opportunity to be _persuasive_, doll."

"Tell me, did you drink his blood?" I asked, gesturing to the headstone.

"Oh,_ that_. Jane took care of that...him," he said, nonchalantly.

"I see," I hissed through my teeth.

"Oh, don't frown, honey… Aro, Caius, and Marcus bear no grudge against you. The mortal knew too much, and he was punished. Really, I don't see how you could be so attached to something so…. well, you know," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Indeed, I do know. However, what I also know is that you would not have been granted leave from Volterra to travel this far simply to attempt to seduce me," I said, raising one eyebrow.

"Ah, _you_ are the one doing _all_ the seducing, Elizabeth…" he said, looking me up and down. "I was just sent to invite you back to Volterra. Life around the tower has been… and this is Aro's word, not mine; dull. They… we… miss seeing your face about the place. There is a certain _allure_ to your presence."

"Kind as that is of them to think of me as a means to alleviate their boredom with eternity, my social calendar is, at present, full."

"Don't tell me you've found yourself a new mate…" he said, looking around.

"No, no, not at all. I have merely found a coven that fits my temperament, for the time being."

"Whose coven?"

"Carlisle Cullen…"

"Well, then. Are you sure I can't tempt you into some private conversation…"

"There is _no_ way on Earth that you could tempt me, Felix," I replied.

"Someday, my love, someday. Until then, farewell," Felix said, as he disappeared into the dark of the night.

**_AN- So, for Cullen Continuation readers, you may notice the difference in last names (Jon Connors and George Green)... George is the uncle or Jon's Grandmother so the last name was clearly changed/lost in marriages over the years. :) _**

**_For all, I think it helps if you picture Felix as I do... like Chuck Bass from the Gossip Girl TV show. lol_**


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